Posts Tagged ‘shangri-la’

Chinese New Year 2019 is but one week away! Have you completed all your CNY shopping and other CNY errands? One Chinese New Year tradition that must not be missed is the tossing of yusheng with family, friends and colleagues, aka lohei! The Chinese believe this is a very auspicious way to welcome the new year. Even if you are not a believer, it cannot be denied that this is a very fun activity to participate in, be you young or old. The aim is to toss it high while still keeping it within the platter! Check out my video at the end of this post to see how toddler Edward reacted to his first lohei! Priceless!

Anyway, here are 8 places where you can get yusheng in Singapore. Bonus one at the back too! Huat Ah!!!

Did you read my previous post on how to maximise your staycation and notice the pretty pictures accompanying the staycation study slides? Those are pictures of the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore. In fact, the Brand Expedia staycation event was held in Shangri-La Hotel’s Grand Suite. And they’re not being dramatic in naming the room the Grand Suite, because it is literally very spacious! Check out the features of the room, and scroll down for more pictures.

I am told this room costs around S$4,000 per night, which is pretty eye-watering by normal standards. However, if you were to treat the Grand Suite as an event venue, the costs might start to work out. $4,000 is of course on the high side for an event venue of 250 sqm but this is a unique venue in a sense. And imagine if you were parents throwing a birthday party for your kid, or a couple having an engagement party / solemnization, at the end of the day you can crash out on the bed and have a “free” staycation!

Went for the Hawker Heritage promotion at The Line @ Shangri-La last Saturday and it was a buffet quite unlike any other buffet I’ve tried. I usually wallop the Western stuff like crabs, oysters, smoked meats, and all the sashimi etc. I am one of those people who can quite easily steer clear of the cooked main courses. But for the Hawker Heritage promotion, the local dishes were just TOOO good to pass up.

The reason for the superb quality was because Shangri-La has invited nine young hawkers from six famous eateries to present local hawker dishes at The Line to enable guests to experience Singapore’s hawker food culture and highlight the new generation of hawkers. You know how it is when you go to a hotel restaurant or a rather Western restaurant and 99% of the time, the local Singaporean dishes don’t taste the same as what you would get at the hawker centre? This time round, the tastes were authentic! I was so busy trying out the roasted pork, mantous with chilli crab, Hokkien Mee, kueh pieti, vadai, and fishball noodles that I totally did not have any space to eat my sashimi, which is like a first ever for me. And it was really very nice to be able to have authentic tasting Teh Tarik to wash down the food!

If you think it’s weird that people go to a buffet to eat local food, just check out this picture above. FULL HOUSE!

Long queue for the Kueh Pieti and Popiah from the famous Kway Guan Huat of Joo Chiat.

There is one more session on the 28th of September Saturday. Don’t miss it! Check out more photos after the jump.

As part of Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore’s commitment towards preserving Singapore’s hawker heritage, the hotel will stage a unique promotion, “Hawker Heritage – The Next Chapter,” at The Line on 21 and 28 September 2013.

Nine young hawkers from six famous eateries will present local hawker dishes at The Line to enable guests to experience Singapore’s hawker food culture and highlight the new generation of hawkers.

The inaugural “Hawker Heritage – The Next Chapter” at The Line embraces this distinctive Singapore food culture and adds variety to restaurant’s 16 theatre kitchens. In addition to the array of crustacean favourites, freshly shucked oysters, sashimi and a variety of cuisines, traditional hawker dishes prepared by young hawkers from six famous local eateries will be available for diners, all within one sitting.

Mr. Habib Mohamed from Habib’s Rojak will serve an assortment of six common Indian rojak ingredients, including his top-selling coconut fritters, fried bean curd, potato, cuttlefish, fish cake and vadai, in a colourful platter and topped with onions, green chillies and cucumber that go perfectly with the delicious red Indian rojak sauce. The sauce, made with peanuts, chillies, pineapple and tamarind powder, combines sweetness, spiciness with a hint of sourness.

Like this:

I am on a quest to try out all the afternoon teas available in Singapore to recommend you my favourites! After my visit to Ritz Carlton Chihuly Lounge’s Afternoon tea last month (the 3rd time I’d visited Ritz Carlton actually), the next stop was to naturally be reacquainted with the Rose Verandah.

Raisin scone with clotted cream and jam, one of best scones available

The Rose Verandah is like the grand old dame of Afternoon teas. Back in 2005 when I first started enjoying afternoon teas, the Rose Verandah would be my go to location. The afternoon tea has been available for as long as I know, and Japanese ladies of leisure love coming here to socialise over nibbles. You’ll be able to catch them in action especially if you come on the weekdays. In fact, it’s more economical to come on weekdays because the afternoon tea hours are extended, there being just 1 sitting instead of split into 2 on the weekends.

The Rose Verandah used to boast their 101 tea selection, quite a mind boggling number I must say. But guess what, it’s now morphed into 164 teas! For the price of your buffet, you can have free flow of 1 type of tea. Should you wish to have another type of tea, it will be an additional charge of $7.50. The trick is to just order one pot of tea first between you and your dining companion. You can then change the tea to something else halfway through the meal.

Although there are so many teas to choose from, which gives the impression that the Rose Verandah is an “English” Afternoon tea type of place, the spread is actually very international. There is also a good emphasis on local delights, so you can actually customise your own mee siam at the mee siam station, have har gow and siew mai, and even tuck into cooked dishes such as curry chicken and Asian duck.

Salmon sashimi, my favourite! There are a few sushi types to choose from too, but I only had eyes for the salmon.